Death Of Hostage Damages Italy`s Palestinian Policy

October 10, 1985|The New York Times

ROME — Italy`s prime minister, Bettino Craxi, was told of the slaying of Leon Klinghoffer, an American passenger aboard the hijacked cruise liner, just as he was about to announce the peaceful conclusion of the incident.

Just before Craxi began a news conference, Italians heard the vessel`s captain, Gerardo de Rosa, in a live telephone interview on Italian television, confirm that Klinghoffer, 69, had been killed.

Craxi, at a news conference, called Klinghoffer`s death ``a terrible loss,`` but went on to say the hijacking had been ``resolved happily, at least for the largest part.``

The news came as a shock to the government of Craxi, which Wednesday night sought to portray its handling of the incident as the success of its policy of seeking improved ties with all sides in Middle East conflicts, including the Palestine Liberation Organization and its leader, Yasser Arafat.

Commentators here said Italy now faces serious decisions and perhaps challenges about the its government`s generally supportive policy toward the Palestinians.

Craxi said the decision whether to ask for extradition of the hijackers from Egypt to Italy would be made when his government drew ``a political balance`` of the hijacking at high-level meetings today.